The Dancing Crescent and the Rushing River
by Zodiac Chiks Virgo and Pisces
Summary: Two girls who aren't as they appear begin a journey. Followed by life's oddities and a handful of bickering Pokemon, their journey will lead them to know themselves better than ever. Separate chapter summaries inside. Please, R&R and enjoy!
1. Prologue

_Authoress' Notes: Hi, everyone! We're Virgo (Alaina) and Pisces (Laura), The Zodiac Chiks; we're both huge fans of Pokemon, so it's fitting that our first Fanfiction story is a Pokemon one. So, here it is; please, everyone, R&R and enjoy our efforts._

_Disclaimer: The Zodiac Chiks don't own Pokemon, or any familiar characters. They own Lenne Cheveyo and Sonya Bouchard, and their families; as well as any unfamiliar characters._

_Summary: Two girls find out that odd happenings can sometimes bring a joyous tide._

Prologue: Stormy Dreams "Sonya, I got sand on meeeeee!" a voice screeched.

"We're at the beach, silly. Of course you're going to get sand all over yourself," another voice replied, a hint a laughter hidden in her tone.

"It's **not **funny!" the other whined, catching onto to the other girls' tone.

"Oh, Lenne…" Sonya sighed, "come here, then. I'll dust you off." Lenne shot over to where Sonya stood under her large red umbrella, and turned around. Sonya raised an eyebrow, a wide grin spreading across her mouth as she said, "You want me to dust off your butt?"

"No, dust everywhere! Please, the sand is getting into places I **really **don't want it--"

"Too much information, Lenny."

"Sorry."

Sonya just shook her head, a smile now playing on her lips. Her blue eyes shined like the ocean itself, the silvery flecks dancing in her iris' resembling the movement of waves. She had cherished Lenne as her younger sister ever since the girl had moved to Sandgem Town, seeing as that Sonya had no siblings of her own. But the young girls could not be any more different from each other; whereas Sonya's eyes were like the ocean, Lenne's were the soft gold-brown of a wheat field. While Sonya had pale, lightly sun-kissed skin and a petite figure, Lenne bore a slightly pudgy form with cinnamon brown skin. Sonya's face was framed by thick, slightly wavy auburn hair streaked with pink, cut short into a chin-length bob, while Lenne's straight black hair trailed down to the middle of her back.

But the most prominent difference: while Lenne preferred to cry her sensitive heart out when she was frustrated, someone was bound to get injured when Sonya was upset.

"Okay, you don't have any more sand on you," Sonya reassured the younger girl. The 15 year old was rewarded when Lenne swerved around and threw her arms around her. Lenne was an affectionate 14 year old when it came to people she was close to, but was generally shy and soft-spoken around others. Unless you knew Lenne personally, you would never figure she loved hugs. Sonya chuckled and patted Lenne on the head, "You don't need to do that for every favour I do for you!" The older girl jumped slightly when she felt a cold, wet nose nudge her thigh.

"_Hey, what about me, what about me!?" _Sonya and Lenne looked down from their embrace at the sound of a whine that longed for attention as well. The girls crooned as they looked into the glimmering eyes of Sonya's Growlithe. _"No hugs for Helios?" _the puppy whined innocently.

"Oh, you get hugs too, dear Helios!" Lenne chided as she hugged the fluffy red and black-stripped Pokemon. Helios the Growlithe barked in delight, earning a condescending sigh from another Pokemon, who had previously been napping on a towel.

"_You act like you were born yesterday, falling around for attention like that." _Sonya's other Pokemon, a Ralts she named Jason, said.

"_You're just jealous that you're too shy to ask for hugs," _Helios shot back.

Jason ignored the hot-headed puppy, knowing well that Helios had a habit of speaking before thinking. But Sonya bent down to rub her Ralts on the head, saying, "But being shy isn't a bad thing, Jase."

Jason the Ralts smiled at his human's encouragement. He turned back to lie on his towel shaded by the large umbrella-- then froze.

Something… didn't feel right, all of a sudden.

The small Psychic Pokemon looked up into the sky, and was puzzled to see the once clear blue hue of it had now darkened dramatically. It continued to darken, now accompanied by large tufts of deep grey clouds.

Helios followed suit, picking up the scent of un-salted moisture in the air. The girls, along with the other people strewn along Sandgem Beach, looked to the sky. The threat of on-coming storm was evident; the wind picked up, sending a cold shock along the shoreline.

As soon as the first drop hit the sand, people scrambled to collect their belongings and run back into town.

"Sonya, your umbrella!" Lenne shouted over the fierce wind. Sonya snatched up the umbrella, using it to shield Helios and Jason from the rain rather than herself. Lenne covered her head with a towel, throwing one over Sonya's head as well. The group retreated from the beach, now running through the slick, slushy soil of the forestry that served as a border between Sandgem Town and Sandgem Beach. After reaching the outer rim of the town, Lenne turned to Sonya with disappointed eyes. "And we were having so much fun…" she mumbled so low, Sonya barely picked up what she had said.

"Don't worry about that right now!" she shouted over the pounding rain, "just get home as fast as you can! If the sky's clear tomorrow, we'll--"

A clash of thunder cut off Sonya and caused Lenne to scream.

"-- we'll come back tomorrow!" Sonya finished, glaring up at the stormy sky.

Lenne nodded, clunked foreheads with Sonya, waved good-bye to Helios and Jason, then sped off towards her house. While Sonya's house laid on the outskirts of Sandgem Town, Lenne's house was located about a quarter of a mile off from the town's laboratory, where the always-traveling Professor Rowan resided when he decided to check into his home town.

When she reached her front porch, Lenne stood on her toes to reach the spare key on top of the porch lantern. She cracked open the door a little but didn't walk in, reminding herself of her situation. Lenne sniffed in hurt, _Mom is going to have a heart attack if I come in soaked like this, _she thought to herself. _Maybe I should go through the back door so she won't see me? _

A shuffle came from Lenne's living room, and Lenne prepared herself to be yelled at by her mother. But instead of a dark-skinned hand opening the door, a large blue muzzle nudged the door open the rest of the way. Lenne blinked, then smiled. "Hey, Huttser." Her father's Manectric nodded, came outside and began to push Lenne in from behind. "No, Huttser. Mom will get mad at me…"

"_Your mother is not home, so hurry inside girl. She would be more upset to have you fall ill from the miserable rain. Clean up the mess later."_

"Heh. Good point."

Lenne allowed the Manectric to push her in, then she ran down the corridor to her room to get changed.

"_Don't run, you'll slip and hurt yourself!"_

"Haha, thanks… **dad**!" Lenne squealed as she shut her bedroom door before Huttser had the chance to scold her. Whenever her father was gone, it was Huttser who would assume command of the house, acting as though he was a kind of second-father to Lenne and Una, Lenne's younger sister.

"_I swear to Mew, that girl…" _he huffed-- then chuckled.

_XXX_

Sonya swore under her breath as her foot gave into a slip in the slushy soil, but she regained her composure before she could fall face-first.

"_Sonya! Are you okay?" _Jason asked, a look of concern written on his cute face. He was cradled in Sonya's arms, due to his inability to run very fast. "_It would be easier if I could Teleport us to your home…" _Helios skidded to a stop as well, looking up at his human.

"Really Jason, it's okay. My home isn't far; it would just be a waste of energy on your part to Teleport us when we're almost there!" Sonya reassured the Psychic Pokemon.

"_But--" _

"_Sonya, please hurry! I can't stay outside in this weather!"_ Helios pleaded, interrupting Jason.

"Okay. Let's keep going!" As Sonya and her two Pokemon made their way through the rain, Sonya couldn't help but steal one last glance at the sky. _It was such a beautiful day… there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. On top of that, it almost __**never**__ rains in Sandgem;_ _only once in a while during the spring or fall. But we're stick-stuck in the middle of summer!_

Just as Sonya finished that thought, she reached the front door to her house. Seeing that no light was filtered through any of the windows, Sonya knew her mother was still on patrol and her father was still bustling around the clinic. Sonya let herself in as well her Pokemon, her short hair matted to her forehead. "Ugh," she sighed, running her fingers through her soaked hair. "I need to take a shower, guys. I'll be out in a few, okay?" Sonya ran upstairs, closing the door to her bathroom behind her.

When he heard the click of the bathroom door, Helios jumped onto Sonya's window seat and stared out the window. He didn't say anything at first, then finally, _"You felt it, too?" _

"_Of course," _Jason replied. _"I believe every Pokemon on the shoreline felt it." _

"_What… what was it? The rough change in the wind? It sent a jolt through me, like nothing I've ever felt before," _Helios questioned aloud, more to himself than the Ralts. _"It was __**not **__just the weather. It was a kind of… message?" _

Jason fell silent; then, _"Even I don't know. I tried picking up anything else the wind would let me read, but I couldn't see -or feel- anything else. But the clear feeling of dread, hostility… it was all carried in that shift of the wind." _

"_What from, I wonder…"_

The two Pokemon continued to stare out the window.

_XXX_

Later that same night, it still hadn't ceased raining. Rain was uncommon in Sandgem, and its residents were quite baffled. Stores closed early, all Pokemon were brought indoors with their owners, and windows and doors were locked in an attempt to keep mother nature out.

Sonya was staring out of her bedroom window into the inky blackness of the rain. She dried her hair by shaking it with a towel, then threw the towel to the other side of her room. Her parents still had not returned home, but she knew better than to worry: her mother was a policewoman, her father a doctor of his own independent Pokemon clinic. Both occupations often required 24/7 dedication, sunshine or rain.

Sonya was stroking Helios' back, and suddenly felt a strange sense of drowsiness. As she watched the fat, shining drops splatter on the window pane, she smiled as she thought, _Huh… they look like thousands of pretty little pearls…_ The drowsiness quickly became the need to shut her eyes, and she obeyed. She didn't feel like moving from her comfortable window seat and shifted a bit, falling asleep instantly with her faithful Growlithe and Ralts curled up on either side of her._XXX_

"I've always loved rain, but this is just down right scary," Lenne whispered in the dark of her room.

"_Do not fear nature; you will only give it more of a reason to frighten you."_

"Heehee, you say the weirdest things Huttser."

"_Hmph."_

Lenne was leaned up against her windowsill, resting her head on her arms to look out at the dark weather. "When do you think it will stop?" Lenne said a bit too loudly, braking away from her previous whispers.

"_Shhh!" _Huttser growled, _"Lower your voice, girl! You wouldn't want to wake your mother or sister up at this hour, would you?"_

Lenne looked over at her clock hanging on the bedroom wall, which read half past 11 p.m. "Sorry," she whispered.

Huttser padded over to where the girl sat, and took a seat next to her in front of the windowsill. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and felt a pang of guilt as he easily read the look in Lenne's eyes.

"… _You miss your father, hm?" _Lenne forced a smile and buried her face deeper into her crossed arms, but said nothing in reply. Huttser looked down for a minute, then shifted closer and nudged the side of her head with his sleek blue muzzle in comfort. _"He's coming back in a few months, child. Your patience will be rewarded. I beg your forgiveness if I sometimes remind you of his absence."_

"Oh, Huttser, that's not it," Lenne mumbled, embracing the fatherly Manectric around the neck. "You and daddy are alike in a few ways, but overall completely different. You're you, and he's him, there's no confusing that. I love you both equally; and the best part is, I have two different daddy figures in my life, heh! Sure, I miss him a heck of a lot when he's traveling, but I'm just worried… wherever he is in Sinnoh right now, is the weather just as ugly looking and terrible? I wish there was a way I could know."

Huttser smiled at the girls' words of reassurance, but nodded and said, _"Knowing the kind of man your father is, you know that not even treacherous weather can deter him. I believe he's just fine…" _Huttser fell silent as he became aware of the expression of awe on the girls' face.

"Huttser!" She gasped and pointed out the window, Huttser's eyes followed. Out beyond the distance of the forestry that boarded the beach, something glowed; a faint, demure, white light. At first, Lenne thought it to be lightning; but there was no sound, and the light never faded even for a moment. "It's so beautiful… like something from a dream…" She murmured to herself. Lenne was unconditionally drawn to the light. She didn't know why she felt the urge to pursue it even though it was beyond the woods and back towards Sandgem Beach.

Huttser scrunched up his muzzle in uncertainty, then looked back to Lenne. But the girl had jumped to her feet and ran over to her closet. She took out a thick beige sweater and tugged it over head to cover her pajama top, then grabbed her raincoat and put it over the sweater, and shoved her bare feet into her boots. She didn't bother to change out of her pajama pants.

The ever-watchful Huttser couldn't believe what he was seeing. _"You are __**not**__ going out there, child! Not now!" _Huttser growled.

"I'm sorry, Huttser," Lenne continued to whisper, "but what if someone -or a Pokemon- is out there alone? I have to go see what it is, please. I'll be okay, just don't tell my mom if she wakes up!" Before the Manectric had the chance to say anymore, Lenne bolted out of her room. She slowed down midway in the corridor as she passed her mother's and sister's room, being as silent as her body would allow her to be. Nothing stirred, and Lenne quickly opened the front door to the pounding rain. She suddenly became unsure of herself, but squeezed her hand into a fist in determination.

"_If you insist on a blind pursuit," _came Huttser's voice as he padded up behind Lenne, "_then I refuse to let you go alone."_

Lenne looked at him in surprise, then smiled. "Thank you… I'm sorry if I'm such a burden to you."

Huttser simply shook his head accompanied with a heavy sigh. _"You need to stop apologizing so much. I'm confident that Sonya gets frustrated with that habit of yours as well." _

With that said, Lenne and Huttser took off into the raging night, the Manectric sticking close to the girl with his ears open for any unseen danger. Lenne could no longer see the light as she had viewed fro her bedroom window, but she somehow sensed it was still there. The duo ran together, past the lightless houses, then the tall trees that blocked the view of the beach. They kept running, even as the rain pounded ever harsher, as though warning them away.

_XXX_ At the outskirts of Sandgem Town, the slumbering Sonya was dreaming. Dreaming of things she was unfamiliar with, seeing things that were distorted but alluring, and did not make any sense…_Dream…_

Sonya opened her eyes and felt a jolt of familiarity as she looked around a golden, barren meadow, which she swore she'd never seen in her life. She heard a noise and tried to turn her head, but it seemed her body wouldn't obey her mind's commands as her dream form kept staring ahead. "_:Hello, old friend,:_" a voice, which she recognized to be her own although it sounded different somehow, spoke; she was even more startled when she realized that it didn't come from her mouth, but from her mind. ":_The Humans are at War again, my dear friend; Pokemon everywhere are being forced to fight for their freedom… Humans are capturing them by the dozens for the sole purpose of being trained as Soldiers in the War. Hundreds have died already,:_" A voice responded in her mind, which Sonya thought sounded very much like Lenne's, except older. "_:I know. I hear their screams in the Dream… Tell me… does he have anything to do with the Humans going to War?:_" Sonya heard herself responding. "_:… Yes, he does, Chika. Both Humans and Pokemon are in a Living Nightmare.:_" _("No…" _Sonya fought to regain control of her own voice, _"That's not my name… that's not my name! What is she talking about? Lenne, it's me! That's not--")_

The moment she cried out her best friend's name, Sonya saw a bright white flash, and she appeared over Sandgem Town. It was as if she was flying, staring down as a familiar black haired girl ran towards a tiny, prone form on the shore of the beach. Her father's prized Manectric, Huttser, was tailing right behind her. _What is that girl thinking!? She's going to get hurt in this storm! _Sonya felt her mind being gently prodded and her consciousness lightly tugged towards the Waking World…_…_ Sonya awoke with a jolt, covered in sweat as the last scene in her mind came into focus: she **knew** Lenne was out in the storm and running towards the beach. _How do I know that, though?_ She wondered to herself, carefully uncurling herself. She put a hand to her forehead, still dazed at what her mind's eye just encountered. Sonya felt something shift against both sides of her, and gave a small smile to her Ralts, who was looking at her worriedly along with her concerned Growlithe. "Thanks, Jason," she told him, knowing that he'd gently prodded her mind into wakefulness when he sensed her distress in her dream.

He just gave a shy smile and laid a small hand on her arm. _I'll worry about that later; right now, I have to make sure Lenne's not being stupid_, she thought as she grabbed her rain coat, shoving her feet into her dark pink rain boots before she bolted outside, her protective Growlithe eager to tail her and her Ralts riding in the hood of her rain coat.

XXX Lenne finally reached the shore, whipping her head around in attempt to find the light she had seen from afar. But to her dismay the light was gone, and Lenne felt about ready to cry due to what she now believed to have been her foolish imagination all along.

"_Do you see now, child? There is nothing out here! You threw us into this terrible weather for nothing!" _Huttser reprimanded her for getting ahead of him as well; he'd purposely been behind her most of the way to keep a look out for her, but she had gotten far enough ahead of him until she was out of his sight, and he slightly began to panic before he caught up to her. "_Lenne, if your father hears of this--_" the fur on Huttser's back rose as he paused mid-sentence, and sniffed the air. He turned around towards the water on their right side, and Lenne followed his gaze.

There, washed up on the shore of the beach and seemingly out of nowhere amongst the raging ocean, lied an unconscious Totodile. Lenne cried out, and ran to the small Pokemon in a panic, "Oh, Huttser, look!" Huttser was caught off-guard for a second, then growled in warning, "_Lenne, stay away from the water's edge! We're in the middle of a storm, you foolish child!_" But Lenne seemed not to hear him. She knelt at the Totodile's side and, seeing another onslaught of powerful waves, carried him away from the shore and more towards the direction of the woods.

Lenne stood under a curved-down tree, which still wasn't enough of a shelter, but it was better than nothing. Huttser sprang over to Lenne, inspecting their curious find as well. Lenne stared down at the small, blue reptile cradled in her arms, and her eyes softened even more so than they naturally were. "It's a Totodile," she murmured to Huttser.

"_An aquatic Pokemon. It looks like a youngling; perhaps the waves washed it away from its' home?"_

Right then, Sonya came stumbling out of the woods, Helios right behind her and her Ralts hanging on to her hood for dear life. Seeing each other, she and Lenne looked at each other stupidly. "What are _you_ doing here!?" They shouted in unison.

There was a moment of silence, the pounding of the rain the only audible sound.

The older girl was the first to recover from the shock, and replied, "I'm here because you're going to hurt yourself by going out into this storm without any protection from the lightning, stupid!" Immediately, she felt regretful for her words when she saw the hurt in her best friend's eyes, "Lenne, I didn't mean it like that! You know that, right? It's just that, what with him being an Electric Type, Huttser's not the best Pokemon to be with you when lightning's around."

Huttser nodded in agreement with the older girl, aware of his Lighting Rod ability that attracted electricity. "_Thank Mew we went through the trees, and didn't race through the open. "_

Lenne's eyes went downcast as she mumbled, "I know you didn't mean it like that, Sonya. It's okay; you and Huttser are right. It was really stupid of me to run out here in this weather, but…" the girl looked down at the Pokemon in her arms, drawing the notice of Sonya as well, "it's just, I saw this light coming from the beach… and I just had to see what it was," Lenne answered, attempting to hide her hurt from her best friend. "When I reached the beach, the light was gone. Then Huttser and I found this Totodile washed up on the shore. Sonya, we have to help it…" Her friend's attitude immediately softened, "Is it hurt?" "I don't think so…" The younger girl replied uncertainly.

Sonya reached out and stroked the Pokemon's head, taking a closer inspection of it, "It doesn't have any visible injuries--" A look of realization suddenly dawned on her, "We're standing in the middle of a storm like a group of idiots, aren't we?"

The girls along with the Pokemon, save the unconscious Totodile, burst into fits of giggles and chuckles. The mood turned serious again when Lenne asked, "Is your dad's clinic still open?"

Sonya nodded, "Lenny, Dad's clinic is always open, rain or sunshine. Let's go."

_XXX_

"Will it be okay, Mr. Bouchard?"

"He doesn't have any external or internal injuries; oddly enough, he is merely sleeping," replied Sonya's handsome father, Dr. Frederic Bouchard. He was the owner of his own independent Clinic, set apart from the Pokemon Centers scattered throughout the world. It had a more comfortable and soothing feel to it, and was one of a kind. It was Sandgem Town's local Pokemon medical building, seeing as the town did not have a Pokemon Center.

"He?" Sonya inquired. She was seated on a lengthy couch that served as a place to get comfortable in the waiting room, which was currently empty. It was past one in the morning now, which took a toll on the puppy Helios, who slept with a glob of drool hanging from his stout, white muzzle, and the small Psychic Pokemon Jason, who was also fast asleep on the couch. Huttser stood upright, determined to stay awake until he could take Lenne home.

Dr. Bouchard smiled and nodded. "Affirmative. Male Totodile, Calm nature, Torrent ability. I couldn't identify his age, but he's fairly young."

"Can we see him?" Sonya pressed, eager to inspect the Totodile.

Her father chuckled and tussled the girl's short hair, earning a pout from Sonya. "I don't see why not." He led the girls to a tidy room with two rows of fair-sized baskets, and three counter tables. This was the Pokemon incubating room, which was used for baby Pokemon. The Totodile was clearly past his hatchling age, but he didn't belong in the larger rooms just yet. Sonya and Lenne went over to one of the baskets, which held the still-unconscious Totodile. A hideous cry erupted suddenly, scaring the wits out of both girls, but Sonya's father only laughed. "It seems one of my patients can't fall asleep. I'll be right back, girls." Mr. Bouchard excused himself, his duty to tend to a sick, wailing Purugly coming from another room down the hall.

Neither girl said anything for a minute. But then Lenne took notice of Sonya's puzzled and concentrated expression, and was the first to speak. "What is it?"

"It's still a bit weird to me…" Sonya trailed off as she looked down at the Totodile.

"What is?" Lenne pressed.

"The Totodile are a rare kind of Pokemon in the wild, and are sometimes used as starters. If they are seen in the wild, they live near fresh-water sources." Sonya knew her fair share of Pokemon knowledge, so Lenne always took her information to heart.

"Like lakes and rivers, and all that?" Lenne prodded.

"Yeah. But this one was on the shoreline of an **ocean**; I've never heard of a Totodile living in an ocean. I'm not saying it can't happen, but it has never been seen or scientifically recorded. On top of that, Totodile's are native to the **Johto** region. What was he doing out here?"

The girls fell silent again. A little more time passed, and Lenne timidly reached inside the basket, and took one of the Totodile's small clawed hands into her own cinnamon one. "I don't think that matters, so long as he wasn't hurt."

Sonya nodded, but then her mind drifted elsewhere: she reflected on everything that had happened tonight, and decided to stay silent about her out-of-the-ordinary dream. She would tell Lenne at some point, but for now, they would have to focus their efforts on learning what they could about this wonder of a Pokemon and if he belonged to somewhere else, or somewhere else.

Little did the girls know that their meeting with this Totodile would set off a chain of events that would lead them into an ugly past, present, and if something wasn't done to prevent it, the future. But it wouldn't be until a few months later when the waves of Sonya and Lenne's unavoidably interwoven fates would begin to surface, for the truth was only a journey away…

XXX

_Authoress' Notes: Well, there's the Prologue; please, tell us what you think about it, by R&Ring for us!_

_Ciao,_

_Virgo and Pisces_


	2. Lenne Cheveyo

_**Authoress' Notes: We're **__**so**__ sorry for the late update, everyone! Both of us have been extremely busy with Life in General (Virgo with School and Pisces with Work), but that's no excuse. _

_A huge thank you goes out to our singular reviewer, aceupthesleeve: Yes, Jacoby will be the Butterfly from the "Butterfly Effect", but perhaps not in the way you think. We hope the review reply helped to clear things up for you. Keep an eye out._

_Farla: Please do us all a favour. Before you attempt to Flame someone, at least get past ninth grade English. Some of the items you "pointed out" were laughable in its ridiculousness. Pisces emailed the chapter and your review to one of her old Teachers, who happens to teach English in High School, and he compared your "Flame" to something he's seen most seventh graders write. _

_To everyone else: It's finally done, here's Chapter One!_

_Disclaimer: The Zodiac Chiks don't own Pokemon, or any familiar characters. They own Lenne Cheveyo and Sonya Bouchard, and their families; as well as any unfamiliar characters._

_Chapter Summary: Basically just an introduction to Lenne's point of view and her character. _

Chapter One: Lenne

Lenne cracked open her eyes to the bright light of the sun filtering through her window, causing her to shut them again. "Mmmhmm," she whined, "I wish my bed wasn't **right under **the stupid window…"

"_But I like the sun," _a voice protested playfully next to Lenne's side.

"I didn't say I didn't like the sun, I just wish my bed wasn't right under it so I wouldn't blind myself every morning! Besides," Lenne rolled onto her side and looked into the strange green eyes of her friend, a smile spreading on her mouth, "You like anything and everything, Jacoby."

Jacoby was what Lenne had named the Totodile when no one came to claim him, and she decided to keep him, much to her mother's chagrin. Lenne's mother had been against having a "wild Pokemon" living in the house, but after arguing about it for quite some time with Lenne ravaging the fact that the Totodile was well-behaved and had no where else to go, her mother reluctantly complied. "But it's staying here only until your father returns, so he can find a trainer or coordinator who would be happy to own it." Lenne had glared at her mother when she called Jacoby an 'it', but said nothing.

"Just give her some time," Sonya had comforted an upset Lenne when the girl had told her everything that had happened. "Your mom, I have to say, can be really cruel sometimes. But she'll warm up to this cute lil' guy eventually!" Lenne was reassured by the older girl's words as Sonya began to scratch the bottom of the Totodile's jaw (which pleased Jacoby immensely). This had all happened two months ago, and in that short time, the girls, and their Pokemon friends had become tied to the mysterious Water Pokemon.

But this morning in particular was the first mark of a beginning.

Jacoby shifted and sat on his haunches, opening his mouth into a small yawn, hiccupped, then smiled at the girl who had become his caretaker and good friend. Jacoby was the Totodile that Lenne and Sonya had rescued from the raging storm, where he had mysteriously washed up on the shore of Sandgem Beach despite his origins as a freshwater species. Even more mysterious were Jacoby's stunning eyes. They were not the common orange of the Totodile line; rather, a shade of green that reminded Lenne of trees in the summer.

Lenne smiled again, and stood up to stretch. "Well," she sighed, "I'm gonna get in the shower. I'll be out in a bit, okay?" The girl snatched up a towel that hung on the back of her door, turning back briefly to Jacoby as she opened the door. "Remember, don't come out until I come back. If mom finds you wandering the hallway or kitchen, she'll throw you outside for no apparent reason." Lenne frowned at the thought. But she knew her mother would do such a thing; she hadn't taken kindly to the thought that Lenne had hoped that Jacoby would become her first Pokemon partner. Lenne scooted into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Jacoby stared after the girl, even though the door was shut. His eyes lowered to the ground, a sense of wonder washing over him. Even today, exactly two months after he had first met Lenne, Sonya, and their acquainted Pokemon, Jacoby was fascinated by all of it-- by them and everything in general. He had no recollection of where he had come from; not even the faintest of a memory. He was fairly young, but Pokemon usually remember their birth years, at least a flicker of them… do they not? Jacoby didn't know. He didn't know much of anything, really; all he knew was that the first thing he saw were those soft golden-brown eyes. Those eyes that filled him with something he could not explain, those eyes that showed nothing but kindness and understanding. The eyes of the young human girl, Lenne Cheveyo.

Jacoby closed his eyes as he recalled that fateful day he had met his friend.

_X…X _

_Warmth. _

_It was the first thing he had felt, surrounding his right clawed hand. His eyes fluttered open, a noise in the back of his throat emitted. He turned his head about, as if trying to shake off the sleep. Everything was a blur at first, but little by little, his surroundings became focused and clear. _

_He looked up-- and froze. For he was not alone; a female face stared down at him, with eyes by likes of which the he had never seen. A joyous smile lit up her face as she whispered, "Oh, I'm so happy you're okay! Me and Sonya were so worried… but Mr. Bouchard said that you just sleeping!" _

_His eyes widened as he realized something: he could understand her. And yet he said nothing still, still shocked by everything as his thoughts came clashing together in a panic. .:Who is this? Where am I? What… why…:. _

_Even though he had not spoken out loud, Lenne could still read the look of panic on his features, "Ah, n-no, no! It's okay, I won't hurt you-- no one will hurt you." Against her better judgement, she reached into the basket and stroked his head. The Pokemon, although wary of her touch at first, was soon soothed. "See? I'm as harmless as a Magikarp," she giggled. _

_The Pokemon's head still spun, but words came to mind as he mumbled, "_Who… who are you?"

_The girl blinked in surprise, then gave another one of her sweet smiles. "My name is Lenne." She looked over to the left side of the room, to the sleeping form of another girl curled up on one of the guest chairs, "and that one is Sonya. You'll like her a lot… you know, when she wakes up. Well, as long as she doesn't have a cramp in her neck…" _

"Lenne… and Sonya…?"

"_Mmhm. And who are you?" _

_The Pokemon fell silent; then, _"I don't-- I don't know."

_Lenne frowned in worry. "You mean you don't remember?" _

"I don't know."

"_Okay, um… what were you doing on the shore of the beach in the middle of a storm? Did you get lost?" _

"I don't know."

"… _Do you have a trainer, or a family? A home?" _

"I don't know."

_Lenne's mouth parted slightly, a look of sadness shining in her eyes. "Well… what do you know?" _

"… I'm hungry."

_X…X_

Jacoby smiled as he recalled that instance, which had become a precious memory to him-- for he had no other memories.

_And then I met Sonya, and Jason, and Huttser, and… _Jacoby scrunched his snout as the last name came to mind. _And Helios._

Jacoby had never considered the cocky fire puppy as an enemy, but he was definitely a rival. It was difficult for the two to be around one another; they would eventually end up bickering over one ridiculous matter or another (they recently argued concerning whose color appearance was better). Sonya and Lenne had tried their best to form a friendship between the Growlithe and the Totodile, seeing as the girls themselves were best friends, but their attempts were in vain.

_I've tried in every way I could to act civilly towards Helios, for the girls' sake. But the flea-bag refuses to comply without my 'surrender.' _

Oddly enough, Jacoby had an extensive vocabulary; one that surpassed what a Pokemon around his estimated age would know. It was another mystery surrounding the Totodile, who had known little to nothing of the world when he first awoke.

"Jacoby?"

The Totodile's thoughts were cut off when his human's voice rang through the room. He hadn't noticed when she had re-entered the room, her hair still wet and apparelled in a clean white sundress.

Jacoby gave Lenne a toothy grin. _"You look nice. But what's the dress for?"_

Lenne returned his grin with a delighted smile of her own. "Daddy's coming back today. I can finally introduce you to him in person!" Lenne had spoken often of her father to the Water Pokemon, of how he never let her down and was her idol in every way. He was a gentle man and a Pokemon Coordinator, with a hearty sense of humour. Like his daughters, Nodin Cheveyo loved to laugh.

Jacoby looked away from Lenne briefly. _"What if he does not… like me? What if he tells you that you need to release me into the wild, or--"_

"Oh, he won't! Jacoby, of course he won't!" Lenne ran over to the Pokemon's side, taking his small form into her worried embrace. "Daddy knows that you've become my dear friend… he won't make me get rid of you, I'm sure of it." Lenne paused for a minute, then, "Daddy isn't like mom. He won't be mean to you."

_XXX_

"Daddy!" Lenne squealed as she raced for the door, which had just swung open to reveal Nodin Cheveyo, who had finally returned from touring the Hoenn region Pokemon Contests. Her father bent down and easily lifted her in a hug, chuckling as he could already feel the moisture of her tears on the shoulder of his shirt. "That's some welcome home, _pakwa_. I take it that you missed me?" In their Native American tongue, 'pakwa' meant 'frog'; this had been Lenne's nickname from her father for as long as she could remember, and she hadn't realized just how much she missed her nickname until he had said it. "Of course I did, Daddy!" Lenne gave a watery laugh and wiped her eyes and nose. For all of her maturity when it came to Pokemon, Lenne was a 'daddy's girl' through-and-through, and hated when her father would go away for long stretches of time. Lenne heard claws clicking on the tiles of the hallway and both she and her father turned around and saw the small Totodile that was peering at them curiously. The girl beamed, "It's okay, Jacoby! Come say hi!" She gestured for her small reptilian friend to come over, which he did obligingly. "And who's this little fellow?" Nodin crouched down and smiled at the Totodile, reaching over to let the Water Pokemon sniff his hand, then looked to Lenne. "This is Jacoby, Daddy; me and Sonya--" "Sonya and I, Lenny," Sonya Bouchard patiently corrected as she came from the kitchen with a can of juice in her hands; she grinned when Lenne stuck her tongue out childishly at her best friend. "Welcome home, sir." After Lenne had prepared herself for her father's return, she had invited Sonya over to greet his homecoming, seeing as that Nodin had known Sonya since her childhood as well.

"Thank you, Sonya… but how many times must I tell you not to call me 'sir'! It makes me feel **so old**. Call me Nodin." Sonya made a funny face that signalled that she still didn't feel comfortable enough to call him by his first name, and the man burst out laughing. "Fine, I'll let "sir" slide. Hah… it's just good to be home." "**Anyways**, Daddy," the black haired girl gave the other girl a playful glare as she re-claimed her father's attention, "**Sonya and I**," she put comedic emphasis on that phrase, much to her father's amusement, "found him a few months ago on the beach during that weird storm that hit Sandgem so suddenly. Remember we told you?"

"_Lenne…" _Jacoby hesitated, _"this is…?"_ he hesitated again as he tilted his head cutely. "Jacoby, this is my Daddy; Daddy, this is my friend Jacoby." "It's nice to meet you, Jacoby," Nodin chuckled, shaking Jacoby's clawed appendage. "_Hi, Mr. Lenne's Daddy,_" Jacoby chirped, causing Sonya to grin and Lenne to squeal at his sheer cuteness. "Your new Pokemon is in very good condition, Sonya," Lenne's father complimented the auburn haired girl. Sonya's face went blank, "Uh, he's not mine; when no one came forward about a missing Totodile, and Prof. Elm said that none's gone missing from his Lab when we called him, Lenne decided to keep him. Jacoby's her Pokemon, not mine; I have enough trouble trying to keep Helios in line." "… I see," Nodin mused, before a playful sparkle came back into his dark eyes. "Hmm… and at such a coincidental time, too."

"Huh?" Sonya and Lenne said in unison.

"I caught another Pokemon that I meant to give to you."

"You got me a Pokemon, Daddy!?" Lenne was over-come with excitement; normally her father's gifts consisted of Poke-Dolls or other souvenirs. This was the first time he'd brought her an actual Pokemon.

"Ah, ah. You already have one!" Lenne's face fell, but Nodin roared with laughter again. "You still can never tell when I'm just joking around, Lenne!" Lenne flushed in embarrassment and pouted, but brightened once more at her father's next words, "I thought you were well over-due for a Pokemon of your own, seeing as Sonya's had Helios since she was four," her father admitted. "What is it!? What is it!?" By this time, Lenne was practically bouncing off of the wall in her excitement. "Here, you may want to release her outside the house, or else your mother will have a fit," her father handed her a solid white Premier Ball. "I saw her on my way home and figured that she'd be the perfect partner for you, _pakwa_." Immediately, Lenne raced outside with Jacoby toddling right behind her while Sonya sighed, going into the living room and coming back with Jason, who had evolved into a Kirlia the day after the odd storm (which explained his exhaustion the few days beforehand) and Helios, who had a four year old girl with curly black hair riding on his back. "_Ouch! Watch the ears, would you, kid?_" Helios whined when Una, Lenne's younger sister, tugged on his ears. "Puppy go!" Una giggled, happily tugging more on poor Helios' ears. "Una, you really shouldn't be pulling Helios' ears, dear," Lenne and Una's father gently extracted her small hands from the Fire-Puppy's sore ears; while he couldn't understand Pokemon like his eldest daughter and Sonya, he was able to easily read their body language, similar to Dr. Bouchard, due to his Pokemon Training and Contest excursions. "Why?" Little Una peered up at her father curiously. "Because it hurts him, _sihu_," just as he had nicknamed Lenne, Nodin used the affectionate name he had bestowed upon his youngest daughter, meaning 'flower'. He tried explaining to the child her mistake.

Sonya took the opportunity to crouch next to her first Pokemon and whispered, "Just for being such a good boy, I'll make you a batch of Spicy Poffins when we get home," she promised as she pet him and kissed his wet nose affectionately. "_Poffins!? I love you, Sonya,_" he barked happily, licking her face excitedly, causing her to laugh at the sensation his wet tongue caused. Although she was discreet about it, Sonya was not only skilled in cooking poffins, but was an admirable cook in general. Considering that Lenne had the ability to burn or undercook anything, it was a convenient quality for Sonya to have if they were ever to go traveling together.

But that was a big if. "Soya," Una tugged on the older girl's hair, causing Sonya to grimace. When Una had the older girl's attention, she asked sadly, "Did I hort Helo?" Sonya had to smile at the child's mispronunciations and explained, "A little bit; it's kind of like when your mommy tugs on a knot when she's brushing your hair, Una. Now, did you want to go outside and see Sissy's new Pokemon?" The child beamed up at Sonya, then faced the Growlithe. "Helo, I sowwy for horting you. Cawy me? Pwease?" Helios immediately melted when the four year old wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug as she finished her apology. He barked in the affirmative, knowing that little Una didn't have the elder girls' Gift, and proudly trotted outside to where Lenne and Jacoby were waiting impatiently, Sonya and Nodin trailing behind the child and fire puppy. "Sonya," Lenne complained when she noticed her best friend deliberately stalling on the porch. "Hurry up!" "Impatient, huh?" The eldest girl chuckled as she moved over and sat on the porch rail. "Go on, then, Lenny." Lenne sucked in a breath of air, attempting one last time to get her shaking excitement under control. "Pokemon, go!" she chanted, throwing the occupied Premier Ball and releasing the Pokemon within. "Oh, wow," even Sonya was awed as the light dissolved to reveal a Ponyta, who tossed her beautiful head proudly before her eyes laid on Lenne.

The fire horse and the human locked gazes, and Lenne felt her heart quiver. That long, elegant face, shimmering yellow-white coat, coal black hooves, and orange-red flames that danced along her head, back, and tufts of her legs. _She's so lovely… _the girl thought to herself. The Ponyta snorted a bit nervously when Lenne took a step forward. Lenne smiled. A smile that the Ponyta, to her surprise, could find no false intention behind. The fire Pokemon relaxed, but was still not entirely at ease. She was not angered that she had been captured, since she had readily brought it upon herself, but the man she had met in Eterna had not been malicious. She was young, and believed that things happened for a reason; which was why she did not bolt from the humans and their Pokemon. She stared at the colourful group, then trained her eyes back to the human girl inching closer to her, her hand outstretched.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she whispered. The Ponyta's flanks quivered in confusion realizing that she could understand the girl.

"_But how?" _the Ponyta inquired, immediately fascinated by this phenomenon. The Ponyta's voice was crystalline and light; Lenne and Sonya were quite taken aback. Sonya picked up on the Pokemon's words, and couldn't hold back her smile. The older girl loved it when she and Lenne would meet new Pokemon, and the creature's priceless expressions when they learned of the girls' strange ability. _"How is this possible? Can you really-- can I really-- speak to you?"_

Lenne smiled again, then nodded in confirmation. "Please, tell me your name." Lenne asked politely.

"_I don't have a name," _the Ponyta replied shyly, still in awe of this event. Lenne turned briefly back to Sonya, flashing the older girl a bright smile. Sonya shook her head, knowing that Lenne was already flipping through possible nicknames for the Ponyta.

"No problem! We'll get back to that. My name is Lenne," she turned to the group behind her, pointing out each individual, "and that's Sonya, my best friend. She can understand what Pokemon say, too! And those are her Pokemon: the Growlithe is Helios, and the Kirlia is Jason. And the Totodile is my Po-- er, our friend; his name is Jacoby." Sonya chuckled at the younger girl's fumbled words, "And that's my daddy, but I'm sure you recognize him already."

The Ponyta looked upon each one of the group. Amazing and befuddling the humans and other Pokemon, the Ponyta lowered her muzzle in a bow.

"Isn't she a beauty?" Nodin chuckled as he nodded in satisfaction. "When I stopped to take a quick nap in Eterna Forest, I woke up to find her going through my bag and eating the food I packed for my team. I had a good laugh; then she lifted her head and looked at me with those big, innocent eyes, and she reminded me so much of you, _pakwa_." Sonya smiled when she saw the glow of a daughter's admiration in Lenne's eyes, then glanced over at her Kirlia, who had been oddly silent for some time now. He was perched beside her on the rail, an intense look glinting in his intelligent ruby eyes. Sony frowned, "What's wrong Jase?"

"(_Nothing,)_" he replied curtly. "_(I just…)" _The Psychic Pokemon looked to the sky, as if the answer lied above them. But Sonya did not look up; her gaze was still focused in concern for her friend. Jason turned back to her, giving her a nod of reassurance. "_(It's okay. It's nothing.)_"

"Please tell me, Jase."

The Kirlia sighed, and said uncertainly, "_(There are shifts all around us.)_"

"Shifts?"

"_(It is not something that I can explain; it is something you must feel. You can ask any intuitive Pokemon, perhaps any Pokemon in general, that there are shifts-- all around us-- that are a cause for concern. It is almost like…)_"

"Like what?" Sonya pressed.

Jason fell silent again, then shook his head. "_(Because you are dear to me, I feel it is best that I do not trouble you with my inquiry. I hope that you can understand, even though I do love you, my friend-- there are some things that I cannot confide with you.)_"

Sonya and Jason stared at one another momentarily, then the girl turned away. Jason feared for an instant that he had hurt her feelings, before she chuckled lowly, "Don't worry, Jase. I don't mind that you can't tell me everything. That doesn't change the fact that you are my trusted friend and that I respect your reasoning for keeping some 'things' from me. As long as these 'things' don't hurt you, I'm alright with not knowing." Turning back to him, she reached over and rubbed his head, that rare, soft look dancing in her eyes.

Jason hated himself right then and there. Sonya was out-right saying that she wasn't upset that he kept secrets from her, even after all this time that they had known one another. Could he have befriended a more gracious human than Sonya Bouchard? He doubted that. Lenne was gentle and understanding as well, but still fidgeted when she knew things were kept out of her earshot. He blushed scarlet with shame, then made up his mind, "_(Sonya--)_"

"_What's with all of the commotion?" _A drowsy voice inquired as Huttser, Nodin's loyal Manectric, came padding out of the house and onto the porch. He stopped cold as he set his gaze on his long-away Trainer. The large man boomed with laughter at the sight of the previously sleeping Manectric, his fur unkempt and tussled. _"N… Nodin?" _Huttser was suddenly a puppy again, bright-eyed and barking joyously as he had when he had been an Electrike.

"Long time no see, friend," Nodin nodded as he wrapped the Manectric into a bear hug. "Huttser, look what Daddy brought me!" Lenne hurried over from petting her new Pokemon to her father's Manectric and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She deliberately ignored her best friend, who she ran past to get to Huttser and brushed up so close, Sonya lost her balance. The older girl was trying not to fall off of the rail. Sonya's struggle with the rail ended abruptly when she collided with the ground; luckily the porch rail was only about five feet from the ground and the fall did little more than knock the breath out of her. "Oww…" The younger girl released her vice-grip on the Electric Pokemon, running over to the fallen girl. "Eeek! I'm so sorry, Sonya! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sooo--" Lenne cried.

"Lenny, it's okay! Criminy, you don't need to get all worked up about it. I didn't crack my head open or anything!" The sudden image of Sonya with a cracked head was too much for Lenne's tender heart.

The younger girl wailed in grief, and Sonya sat up to pat her on the back as Helios, Jacoby, and Jason came to check on both of them.

Nodin was watching the scene before him, and muttered something under his breath. Although entranced by the scratching behind his ears from his Trainer, Huttser picked up his ears. Nodin smiled and repeated, "I said, not much has changed. The girls have somewhat matured, though, so perhaps…" Nodin bit down on his thumb nail, a habit that ran through the family. "Perhaps…"

"_Perhaps?" _Huttser echoed, a questioning bark.

Nodin, a man of humour and laughter, vanished. He was replaced with the serious father that had some concerning matters to dwell upon. "Perhaps they can break away from Sandgem now. Perhaps they can begin to travel, see the realities of the Pokemon world, and learn from it. I want that for them, Huttser." Nodin smiled once more, and patted the Manectric on the head. "The only trial left… is Mahune."_XXX_

Later that evening, Lenne begged to spend the night at Sonya's house. As usual, permission was granted by her father. Now the girls were in Sonya's room, which Lenne always commented had smelled of cinnamon. Sonya would just roll her eyes in reply. The girls were laying on their backs on Sonya's bed.

"What should I name her?" Lenne asked suddenly.

"Mmm?"

"The Ponyta. What should I name her? She's so unbelievably lovely, I don't want to give her a name that isn't good enough for her."

Sonya sighed. "Lenny, just do what you did with Jacoby; ask her if she wants to name herself. If she doesn't, then ask for her permission for you to name her. Don't just jump to the gun with the name thing-- she's still unfamiliar with us, so you don't want to make her uncomfortable."

"You should be a… a Pokemon Behaviouralist. You know, 'cause you're good with this kinda stuff."

"A Pokemon Beh- behavioral-- ist? Is that even a **word**?" The redhead stumbled over the unfamiliar word in amused confusion.

"It is in my head," Lenne giggled, causing Sonya to roll her eyes.

Then Sonya remembered to ask the other girl something. "Oh, yeah. Since you have two Pokemon now, and I have two Pokemon… do you think your mom will ease up and finally let us go traveling?"

The girls fell in complete silence. Sonya wondered if she had asked at a an inappropriate time, and said nothing more. Suddenly, Lenne grabbed the older girl's hand, and squeezed. As they laid on Sonya's bed, side-by-side, Sonya turned her head to look into the eyes of her best friend. The younger girl kept her eyes glued to the ceiling, but Sonya made note of the mist in her gold-brown eyes, and felt a pang of worry.

Sonya frowned, "What's wrong, Lenny?"

"Let's run away together, Sonya."

Sonya thought briefly on her answer, then, "Ah… Lenne, you know--"

"Please, Sonya!" Lenne quickly rolled onto her side, so Sonya would know that she was dead serious with a look of desperation crossing her features, "Please? They'll figure that since we're already gone, and we're old enough to take care of ourselves, that as long as we have each other--"

"No, Lenne." Sonya said firmly. "It would be irresponsible, and we're better than being irresponsible. Do you know how much shit we'd both get into? Not to mention that what with all of my cousins on the look-out that we wouldn't get past Jubilife."

Lenne shut her mouth, and spoke no more of her crazed idea. Lenne curled into Sonya's side, which the other girl allowed when she felt tears seeping into the fabric of her shirt at the shoulder. "… She won't let me go, Sonya."

Sonya shook her head, and patted Lenne's head. "I know, I know. She's like a big friggin' rock tied to your ankle." Sonya earned a watery giggle from the other girl, in turn which she smiled. "We can only hope something will change your mom's mind, Lenny."She shrugged thoughtfully, "After all, stranger things have happened."

"Like what?" Lenne's retort was muffled in her friend's shoulder.

"Like Morty and Eusine being best friends," her flippant remark had the hoped for response and Lenne snickered in agreement.

_XXX_ After a emotional snot-fest of crying in Sonya's arms last night, along with an eventful and laughter-filled breakfast, Lenne returned to her house at around 11 a.m. the next morning. Her usually bright eyes were dulled with bags of sleeplessness underneath, her nose pink, and her cheeks blotchy. She would just duck her head when she went inside; she didn't want her mom to be on her case this morning. But as Lenne quietly opened the door, she heard the raised voice of her mother and the calm, even tone of her father's voice. Unconsciously, her hand went out to grasp a Pokeball on her waist; this particular one had her new Ponyta, as Jacoby went with Sonya for a check-up at her father's clinic.

"Mahune," Nodin began again, "she's _fourteen._ She is old enough to make her own decisions; she's a good girl, so you know she wouldn't decide on anything reckless." Lenne lowered her head, tears pricking her eyes from her father's faith in her. Just last night, she had cried to Sonya that they should run away together…

"She's still a child," Mahune snapped, turning away from her husband. "She can wait until she's eighteen; that's when she'll _truly _be old enough to make her own decisions."'

Lenne clasped her hand over her mouth to prevent a high-pitched sob from escaping her throat. _Not that, _She wanted to scream,_ Not that! _Could her mother really be so cruel? "Mom, please!" Lenne could no longer stay silent, stepping out from behind the wall of the corridor. It was better to defend her situation rather than her father take the fall for it, anyways... She and Sonya had decided that they were more than ready to begin a Journey and hoped to leave as soon as possible; but that was near to impossible without her mother's blessing, or, rather, consent. Nodin's eyes fell downcast, but Mahune was not phased by her daughter's sudden interruption, "You don't even have any idea of what you or Sonya," Lenne flinched at her mother's usual condescending tone of voice, "want to be, let alone where you're going." "That's the point, Mother!" Lenne argued, not really making sense.

Mahune Cheveyo stared coldly into her daughter's eyes. She tossed her long, dark brown hair over her shoulder with a slender hand, as if she too were an irritated teenager. "I'm beginning to believe that you don't know what the word "No" means, Lenne. I absolutely forbid it; you're still too young. I'm not one of those foolish parents who allow their children to travel the world at the age of ten. **Ten**! That's not even a pre-teen point." "I'm not ten anymore!" Lenne screeched, "I hate that-that… just because you never trained any Pokemon, that automatically means that I can't either! All of my other friends are gone… they left _four years ago… _Sonya is the only one I have left! But if it wasn't for her health, she'd…" Lenne choked on a sob, forcing the rest of the words out, "She'd be gone, too." Lenne hated to think that if things were different, Sonya would be somewhere far away right now, out of Lenne's reach. "But we have each other, mom… we have Pokemon… we can all take care of each other…" Lenne's previously enraged voice had died down to a whisper.

There was a long, torturous silence. Nodin, his wife, nor his daughter said anything for a stretch of minutes.

"Go, then," Mahune spoke suddenly, her words void of any specific feeling. Nodin and a blubbering Lenne were caught off guard, both unsure of what she had just said. "Go," Mahune repeated, "I won't stop you. But mark my words," Mahune's tone turned cold again, "a girl with a bleeding heart as yours, Lenne, will not make it very far. Unless you strengthen yourself as a person, I wouldn't be surprised to see you come home in tears in a matter of weeks." With that said, Mahune rose from the couch, and left the living room.

Nodin wasted no time in wrapping his daughter in his embrace. She continued to cry, only a bit more softly. _"A girl with a bleeding heart as yours, Lenne, will not make it very far." _Her mother's words had crashed down on Lenne, like feeling the urge to vomit. She cried harder, wanting desperately to cease her own tears, a sign of her weakness, but she could not hold them back.

"You have yet to grow as a person, _pakwa_," her father assured her, "So don't let your mother's words deter you." Nodin pulled her away from his embrace, holding Lenne at his arm's length. A smile played on his lips as he said, "But you can travel now. Your mother will… **get over **the fact that you are not a baby anymore. Just give her some time. But for now," he reached over to their coffee table, plucking a few tissues from the tissue box set upon the table and handing them to her, "you need to head on over to Jubilife City and buy everything you're going to need for your journey. You also have to call Sonya and let her know what's going on. If you get everything done today, then you can leave by tomorrow morning. Now, how good does that sound?" Nodin smiled.

Lenne returned his smile with a watery laugh and nodded.

_XXX_

_Authoress' Notes: Well, there's Chapter One; this was mainly meant to be an introduction to Lenne and her family. We hope everyone enjoyed reading as much as we did writing!_

_Please, Read and Review, because without Reviews, the Muse dies, and without a Muse, the story dies. _

_Ciao,_

_Virgo and Pisces the Zodiac Chiks_


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